The present invention relates generally to the field of social expression cards, and more particularly to a social expression card that includes a music box and an animation figure.
The social expression card industry is a very large business. Consumers demand a variety of card styles, designs, art work, sentiments, and effects in order to express properly the thoughts they wish to convey to the recipient. Social expression card manufacturers constantly create new cards in order to satisfy consumer demand.
A number of cards include visual effects. Examples of such cards include pop-up cards that include a mechanic that is animated by the opening and closing of the card. Other visual effects are created by mechanics that are animated by manipulation of wheels, tabs, and sliders.
In some cards, visual effects are created automatically. For example, in Earnest, U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,454, there is disclosed a battery operated greeting card that includes a display portion that is animated when the card is opened. The card of the Earnest patent includes an animation mechanism that is actuated by a nickel-titanium alloy wire. The nickel-titanium alloy wire has the property that it contracts when an electric current is passed therethrough. Circuitry is included for providing a pulsed electric current to the wire, thereby causing the wire to contract and expand and provide motion to the animation mechanism.
Another type of social expression card provides auditory effects. For example, in Sanford, U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,806, and Tarrant, U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,067 there are disclosed greeting cards that include mechanical music boxes. In Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,041, there is disclosed an animated device, which may be included in a greeting card, that provides both visual and auditory effects though electronic circuitry.
The present invention provides an animated music box card. The animated music box card of the present invention includes a card sheet and a box-like structure attached to the card sheet. A music box mechanism and a movable animation figure are mounted within the box-like structure. A linkage is mounted within the box-like structure to transmit rotary motion of the music box mechanism to the animation figure.
The music box mechanism includes a transversely mounted rotating shaft. The linkage includes a transmission for transmitting rotation of the shaft to a wheel rotatably mounted in the box-like structure on an axis perpendicular to the shaft. A first link has a first end movably connected to the wheel. A second link has a first end movably connected to the second end of the first link and a second end operably connected to the animation figure.
The music box mechanism and animation figure are preferably mounted to a music box and animation structure housed in the box-like structure. The music box and animation structure includes first and second structural sheet members. Each of the structural sheet members has respective inner and outer surfaces, and each of the structural sheet members has an interior cutout portion. A first mounting sheet is sandwiched between the inner surfaces of the structural sheet members. The first mounting sheet has a slot formed therein. The animation figure is pivotally mounted to the first mounting sheet on an axis perpendicular to the first mounting sheet. A second mounting sheet is affixed to the outer surface of the first structural sheet member. The second mounting sheet has a window and a keyhole formed therein. The music box mechanism is mounted to the second mounting sheet within the interior cutout
The box-like structure and card sheet are preferably formed from a single sheet of paper card stock. The sheet of card stock includes three rectangular panels. A rectangular first side panel is connected along a fold line to a first panel. A second panel is connected along a fold line to the first side panel. A rectangular second side panel is connected along fold lines between the second panel and third panel. The side panels each include a pair of end tabs. A first closure flap is connected along a fold line to one end of one of the first, second, and third panels. A second closure flap is connected along a fold line to the other end of one of said first, second, and third panels. A connection flap is connected along a fold line to one of the first and third panels. The panels are folded with the connection flap being affixed to one of the side panels to form the box-like structure and the card sheet.